diff options
author | Gustav Eek <gustav@fripost.org> | 2015-01-19 20:22:47 +0100 |
---|---|---|
committer | Gustav Eek <gustav@fripost.org> | 2015-01-19 20:26:33 +0100 |
commit | 5e6c50f25786707f59b56862632231ce2ef5c0d6 (patch) | |
tree | a2a4c0bf26194cf5d788536349db0bdbeb24cda1 /english.mdwn | |
parent | e87b8d6c24915f4bc50f3c08b9a7201a74743541 (diff) |
Merge website, the English text incorporated
All content of *index.en.org*, *kontakt.en.org*, and
*medlemskap.en.org* is combined into one single English page,
*english.mdwn*, that should be part of the website. The template
*page.tmpl* is updated accordingly.
Diffstat (limited to 'english.mdwn')
-rw-r--r-- | english.mdwn | 210 |
1 files changed, 210 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/english.mdwn b/english.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..67cbcba --- /dev/null +++ b/english.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,210 @@ +# Fripost – The Free Email Association + +Technology has never been neutral. The ownership structure of technology +companies and their endeavour for profit ensures that usage of their services +for work and communication will never be free. + +At the same time, only a fraction of the everyday Internet users have knowledge +and resources enough to create free alternatives on their own. The question is +also: What can reasonably be expected from an average user in terms of +engagement in their privacy and freedom? + +For any one individual, the goal of user freedom may be unattainable. Together, +we can move mountains. + +We are proud to present the Association for Free Email, Fripost. Fripost has +since late 2010 delivered a free and reliable email service, with a distributed +network of servers. + +[[!toc levels=2]] + +## Join Now + +We are happy do declare that the membership fee has been decreased. Since the +yearly meeting in Mars 2012 we lowered the entrance fee from 300 to 200 +SEK. Fripost consists of all members together, and the only way to strengthen +our strives is to become more. A lowered fee has been one of the wishes of +Fripost's members, and a lowered fee also lowers the threshold for to free your +mailing. + +You become a member by sending 200 SEK to the association + * Through bank payment, + * PayPal, or + * By cash payment at one of the association's meetings. + +200 SEK – A small price for freedom + +Paying the membership fee corresponds to the smallest effort members commit to +in the association, but we expect members to take larger part in the work of +Fripost. That means, for example, to sometime show up at the association's +activities, or take part in the +[[mailing lists|https://lists.fripost.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo]] +or at [[Fripost's wiki|https://wiki.fripost.org]]. + +Donations are also appreciated. Fripost suggests that one can join and at +the same time contribute with 300 SEK. To do so, pay 500 SEK to one of the bank accounts +or use the special PayPal button. + + * Plusgiro – 477884-1 + * Bankgiro – 311-5060 + +It is also possible to use cash payment in contact with someone in the +association. + +Fripost cares about its members integrity, and encourages vigilance against +giving out personal information. In that spirit Fripost offers anonymous +memberships, for which the only information needed is + + * The desired email address (e.g. your.name@fripost.org). + +However, in order to make it possible for Fripost to reach to you with important +information, you may want to provide: + + * Full name + * Current email address (recommended) + * Phone number + * Physical address + * Whether you want to join the member mailing list + +The member mailing list is the main channel for information within the +association. Members are not added by default, so you have to explicitly state +that you what to be added to the list. + +More details (in Swedish) are found at the +[[membership page|medlemskap]] + +## The deal + +A membership means: + +- One email address, one inbox, and the possibility of one extra alias at fripost.org +- The possibility to associate one domain of your own to fripost.org +- Unlimited number of aliases on the associated domain. + +## Contact + +To contact us, send an email to +[[info@fripost.org|mailto:info@firpost.org]]. + +## Mailing lists + +Internally, we use the mailing lists to communicate. If you are a +member but not yet on the list, contact us so we can add you. + +The members list is open for all members and participation is strictly +voluntary. + +## IRC + +If you use [[IRC|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat]], +you may want to join +[[#fripost|https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=#fripost]] at +[[freenode.net|http://www.freenode.net/]]. + +# Fripost – Free Mailing + +Free your mailing! + +The Internet is the most important communication medium in the majority of the +industrialised world. For those who take user freedom seriously it is saddening +to see how the Internet has changed from being a highly distributed network to +the increasingly privatised web we encounter today. A few strong parties control +major segments of important infrastructure that millions of users depend on +every day. + +## Software as a Service + +A concept introduced in the spirit of centralisation is Software as a Service +(SaaS). SaaS means that users perform their computer work on or through a +network server on the Internet or a local network. Examples of SaaS are Amazon +Cloud and Google Docs. One of the main problems with SaaS is that the users has +no control over their data. + +## Privacy and Surveillance + +With large clientele comes a lot of power. Large transnational operators, such +as Google, are profiting from efficient use of privacy invading +schemes. Together with e.g. Google's email service one also gets things that was +probably not asked for: advertisement, semantic analysis of email contents, and +spying. One part of Google's marketing strategy is to sell the collected +information to third party. + +## The Free Email Association + +Fripost was founded in order to take back a small, but important, part of our +Internet life, namely the email communication infrastructure. We gather around +several servers that receive and stores the members' email. The reliability of +the service is of course of great importance. + +Apart from reliability, also integrity preserving, democratic participation and +transparency are the watchwords of Fripost. The association will never be +interested in the content of its members' emails or other dealings. The +association never supplies information regarding members activities to third +party. Fripost keeps logs, and that is a part of all responsible service. But +these logs are only for reliable maintenance, and will never be used for other +purposes. + +All work within the association is voluntary. The association is administrated +by a democratically elected board, and the server administrators are chosen on +democratic grounds. + +## What's the Difference? + +With mail services on today's market, users have no power over their mailing, +and must follow suit the provider's all whims. In that sense, those services can +never be regarded as free, as in freedom. However, the email service provided +through Fripost is free! This because of the co-ownership of the association's +means and the democratic structure of non-profit organisations. No private +for-profit corporation can offer that, at whatever price. + +Through collective organisation, Fripost render it possible for individuals to +bring yet another part of their computer usage under their own control. + +User freedom is possible! + +## Participate + +The membership fee, 200 SEK, is a small price for freedom. + +Fripost is based on voluntary work. There are always things to do for those who +want to get involved. As said before, paying the membership fee corresponds to +the smallest effort members take in the association, but we expect members to +take larger part in the work of Fripost: sometime show up at the association's +activities, or be active on the association's [[wiki|https://wiki.fripost.org]], +[[email lists|https://lists.fripost.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo]], and +chat channel [[#fripost|https://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=#fripost]] on +[[freenode|http://www.freenode.net/]]. + +Many of Fripost's members also participate by just configuring their email +clients and free their mailing. + +Members are as active in the association as they like, and all members have the same +possibilities to take part in the association's democratic process. + +## More Information + +Fripost's official language is Swedish. however, many members, also in +the administrators team, are non Swedish speakers. Therefore by-laws +and similar documents are written in Swedish, but documentation and +such is all in English. Documentation is in English also because of +that one of the main ideas with Fripost is to encourage others to +follow Fripost's initiative. Fripost's documentation is a good way to +get started. + +More sources of information + * [[Abstract of a talk|https://fscons.org/2010/infrastructure/distributed-email-system.html]], + given by Gustav Eek and Stefan Kangas at FSCONS, November 2010 + * [[Fripost's wiki|https://wiki.fripost.org]] contains ideas, + instructions, and minutes + * [[The Git repositories|http://git.fripost.org]] + +For further questions see [[contact page|kontakt] for how to get in +contact with Fripost. + +Fripost started as a project within Göteborg Fellowship of FSFE, but +is now an independent association. + +A version of this text is available as a +[[leaflet|http://fripost.org/material/leaflet.pdf]], which you can +print and use to spread the word. + |